


Inside Out

by Tsukino_Akume



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2013-05-07
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsukino_Akume/pseuds/Tsukino_Akume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fred's always been one of the boys - except whenever someone decides he isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inside Out

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** Fred Weasley II, FtM - Fred's always been one of the boys  
>  **Warnings:** angst  
>  **Author's Notes:** While researching the epilogue, I noticed that Charlie Weasley was never mentioned as marrying or having kids. So I gave him an adopted son. Because I can.
> 
> A great deal of this story was inspired by [Being Transgender Means... by Tristanjsolarez](http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=Being+Transgender+Means+...#/art/Being-Transgender-means-360814262?_sid=5aed1b1c). Additional love and appreciation for punkpinkpower, who helped me figure out the ending.
> 
> This is the first time I've attempted to write a transgender character, excluding Mil in Behind Closed Doors. As such, constructive criticism is both welcome and encouraged.
> 
> Enjoy!

From the moment Fred could crawl, he'd been trailing after his cousin Teddy whenever the family got together. He and Louis had run rampant, flinging mud at each other, collecting frog eggs, and daring each other to eat dirt. He avoided his girl cousins and their tea parties and dress-up games like the plague. Whenever they played Quidditch, it was always boys against girls.

Fred had never doubted what side he was supposed to play on until the day Aunt Hermione sat him down with a book on anatomy. 

"Sometimes a person is born with boy parts, but inside, they feel like a girl. And sometimes they're born with girl parts, but they feel like a boy on the inside. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them; that's just how they feel." 

He looked down at the book in she'd placed in his lap in confusion. "Aunt Hermione ... I don't ... I don't understand." 

She sighed softly, tilting his chin up and leaning in to meet his eyes. "Freddie ... I'm talking about ***you***. You were born a girl. I know that's not how you see yourself, and I want you to know that that's okay. We all love you just the same." 

He stared. 

He was a girl? But ... that couldn't be right. He was a boy. He had a boy's name, after his Uncle Fred who died in the war. He didn't like girly things. He played on the boy's team for Quidditch. Even Daddy called him 'little man'. He couldn't be a girl. 

But ... Mummy does get that funny look on her face sometimes when Daddy says it. And Gramma Johnson sends him dresses for his birthdays and Christmas. And his bedroom was pink when he was really little, until he'd asked Daddy why his room had to be such a girly color and they'd repainted it. 

" ... Freddie? Sweetheart, are you listening?" 

The picture in the book showed what boy parts and girl parts looked like, didn't it? That's what Aunt Hermione said. And from what the book said, Fred had girl parts. So that meant ... that he wasn't a boy at all. 

It meant he was supposed to play tea party and wear dresses and pretend to be a princess with Annie. He was supposed to giggle over boys with Molly and Lucy instead of climbing trees and wrestling with Louis. It meant he wasn't supposed to play on the boy's team when they played Quidditch anymore. He couldn't play with Louis and Teddy and Jamie and Al. 

A hand settled gently on his arm. "Freddie?" 

"I don't want to play on the girl's team!" he burst out, wrenching himself free and dumping the book to the floor. He ran, tears blurring his eyes. Aunt Hermione called after him, but he didn't care. He'd keep running until he couldn't remember her stupid book and her stupid talk. He'd keep running until he forgot it all. He'd run until he was a boy again. 

He'd run forever if he had to. 

****

The boy Uncle Charlie had brought with him fidgeted uncomfortably as they all stared at him. He wasn't very tall, with tanned skin, blond hair, golden-brown eyes, and no freckles to speak of. Uncle Charlie had introduced him as their new cousin Dakota, but no one was entirely sure where he'd come from. 

"You don't look much like a Weasley," Molly said critically, looking the new boy up and down. 

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Louis demanded. "He doesn't have to look like a Weasley to be one." 

"That's stupid," Fred scoffed, folding his arms and nodding in agreement. He didn't look much like his cousins either, after all. 

"Are you calling me stupid?!" 

"No, I said ***that's*** stupid, 'cause it is!" 

"Why don't we play a game of Quidditch?" Dominique suggested. "We've got enough for two full teams now." 

Jamie brightened immediately. "Boys versus girls!" 

"But then it won't be even numbers," Anne protested. 

Everyone gave her a funny look, and she rolled her eyes. "Freddie's a ***girl*** ," she huffed. 

Fred glared at her, insulted. "Am not!" 

"Are too!" she insisted, glaring back. "Mummy told me so last week! She said you're really a girl, but you want to be a boy!" 

"Freddie's a girl?" Rose repeated, making a weird face. 

Al looked confused. "But Freddie can't be a girl. He's Freddie." 

"Who cares?" Lucy sighed, looking bored. 

"If he's a girl, then he has to play on the girls' team," Anne insisted again. "That's the rules!" 

"I'm not a girl!" Fred shouted. "Even Dad says I'm a boy, so I am!" 

"You just want him on your team!" Louis put in, scowling at her. 

"Can't we just play Quidditch?" Jamie whined. 

Anne stomped her foot. "We can't play until Freddie's on the right team!" 

Teddy whistled sharply, and everyone fell silent. 

"Look, if Fred says he's a boy, then he's a boy," he informed them all. "Let's just play, all right?" 

Anne muttered something under her breath, but Fred had already turned his back on his evil brat of a sister, turning instead to smile broadly at their new cousin. "Hi! I'm Fred. This is Louis." 

"Hi," Dakota mumbled, fidgeting again. 

"So, do you know how to play Quidditch?" 

Dakota shrugged. "A little." 

Louis grinned, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry; we'll teach you," he promised. 

****

He stood on the platform for Malkin's Robe's for All Occasions, watching as the assistant pinned up the hem on his robes. Dakota looked bored on the platform next to him, while Louis made faces at them both behind the woman's back, trying to get them to laugh. His parents were watching in the corner, along with Uncle Charlie and Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. 

He was trying to muffle a snicker in his sleeve when he heard it. His aunt's voice, the soft accent just barely carrying over the noise of the shop. 

"Are you sure that is ze uniform 'e should be wearing? It may make things difficult." 

"It's what he wants," his dad said firmly. 

He could see Uncle Bill's frown "But what if - " 

"It's what he wants." 

Fred swallowed, forcing himself to look at Louis again. But somehow it didn't seem as funny as it did before. 

****

"I still don't see why we were called here for this, Headmaster Burkhard," his dad spoke up, arms folded and voice cold. 

Fred stared at his feet, blinking harshly. 

The headmaster sighed. "Your daughter - " 

"Son," his dad interrupted. "Fred identifies as a boy. That makes him my son." 

"Your son," Professor Burkhard repeated, "Nevertheless, is physically a girl. That means that he cannot be allowed to sleep in the boy's dormitories." 

"That's bullocks," his dad snapped. "We wouldn't even be having this conversation if it wasn't for the curfew charms. You'd never have guessed Fred was anything but a boy, because that's what he ***is***." 

"They're only eleven," his mum protested. "Surely it's not that big an issue." 

"In the eyes of his family and in his own mind, that is certainly true. But that does not change the fact that - " 

"Headmaster," Professor Longbottom interrupted. "What if the other boys in Mr. Weasley's dorm room were informed? Would it still be a problem if they were aware of Fred's gender?" 

There was a long, considering pause. 

"I suppose, barring no complaints from Mr. Weasley's dorm mates or their parents, an exception could be made." the headmaster said at last. 

Fred desperately tried not to hope. 

****

"Boys aren't allowed in here," Moaning Myrtle informed him haughtily. "This is the girl's loo." 

Fred swallowed. "I know. I know it is. But I was ... sort of hoping you'd make an exception for me. I thought you'd might understand, see." 

She stared at him. "Understand what? 

He took a deep breath. "I ... I'm - really a girl," he forced out, even as every part of him screamed to take it back. "I was born a girl, but I like being a boy, so that's how I dress. And most people think I am. Which is fine, except that if I go to use the boy's loo, they might ... they might start to wonder, and - " 

He stopped, blinking harshly. "Anyway, I wondered if you might allow me to use your loo, so no one will get upset about which one I'm using, since no one really comes in here anyway." 

Myrtle gave him a skeptical look. "If you're really a girl, then it doesn't matter. But don't you ***dare*** leave a mess in here or you'll be sorry!" 

****

She looked uncomfortable. "That's really sweet of you to ask me ... " 

He fought the urge to close his eyes. "But?" 

She bit her lip. "It's just ... I've heard the rumors, you know? About you. And that's fine! I don't mind at all. It's just that I'm just not into girls." She hesitated, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry." 

He forced himself to nod, trying to smile. "Can't blame a bloke for trying." 

She smiled back, but he hadn't missed the way she cringed slightly when he said it. "I'll see you around, yeah?" 

He watched her walk away in silence. _But I'm not a girl... I'm a boy._

****

"Do you have any idea what it's like for me?" Anne demanded. 

He raised his eyebrows. "'What it's like for you'?" he echoed. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Everyone knows, Fred! They all know you're a girl just - just playing pretend! You're not really a boy at all!" 

"Annie - " 

"You never think of me!" she argued, tears in her eyes. "You never think about what it's like to be 'that freaky kid's sister'!" 

He reeled back like she'd slapped him. 

****

"So, are you gay or what?" 

Fred stopped, turning to look at MacDougal incredulously. " ... Excuse me?" 

"Well, you dress like a bloke even though you're not, right? So I was wondering, do you like women or blokes?" 

"What bloody business is it of yours?" he demanded. 

MagDougal held up his hands. "Oi, no need to get defensive, mate. S'just a question!" 

"Bugger off," he snarled, spinning around and marching away before he put his fist through the other boy's face. 

****

"Grandmum, I'm fine," Fred protested. 

She set a plate of biscuits in front of him with a sigh, absently running a hand over his hair before taking the chair across from him. "I know you are dear, I just ... Well, I worry about you." 

"Why? I've got top marks, I'm not struggling in any of my classes, Dad's offered me a job at the shop while I decide what I want to do with my life ... Everything's great." 

"I know all that dear, and it's wonderful. It's just - " She pursed her lips in a way that reminded him of Uncle Percy. "I worry about you settling down. Meeting someone nice, and ... starting a family. It might be difficult for you, what with your ... orientation." 

The biscuit he'd been holding dropped from suddenly numb fingers. " ... What?" 

"I love you dear, you know that of course," she insisted, folding her hands. "I just worry that it's going to be hard to find love with your lifestyle choice. Not everyone is as accepting as we'd like them to be, no matter how we may wish otherwise." 

****

"It's not like we don't like you anymore, mate," Felix went on. "It's just ... well." He looked around at the others and shrugged. 

"You're a girl," Ryan said bluntly. "And sharing a room with a girl is weird." 

"It never mattered before," he reminded them through gritted teeth. 

"Sure, but we were all just kids then," Leo argued. 

Ryan made a face. "What if you walked in on one of us in the shower, or having a wank or something?" 

"I've walked in on you in the shower before and it never mattered then," he snapped. 

"We were ***kids*** ," Ryan insisted again. "We didn't know any better." 

"Who's to say you won't be more comfortable in with the girls anyway?" Leo suggested. 

"Besides, don't you think it's time you stopped trying to hide?" Alex added quietly. "You're not really a boy, after all." 

****

She finished wiping her hands on a dishtowel, turning to face him with a bright smile. "So what is it you have to tell me?" 

He swallowed, trying to summon up his courage. "I ... I wanted ... That is, I thought you should know .... " 

She folded her arms, raising her eyebrows expectantly. 

"I ... I'm, um - " 

"If this is anything like when you told me about being a witch, just spit it out already." 

"Wizard," he corrected automatically. "Male magic users are called wizards. Girls are witches." 

She waved a hand. "Whatever. Just stop torturing yourself and tell me, darling." 

He scrunched his eyes shut, not wanting to see the look on her face when he said it. "I'm a girl!" he blurted. 

There was a long silence. 

Oh, Merlin, why didn't he do this sooner? He was half in love with her already and then he springs this? She must think he was some kind of freak now. "I mean, I was born a girl, but I've always been a boy. Inside, that is. I mean, that is to say, that I'm biologically female, but mentally - " 

A hand settled over his lips, and his eyes flew open as he started in surprise. 

She smiled at him. "Darling, you're Fred. That's all that matters." 

" ... Marry me." It slipped out before he'd even realized, but the moment he did he couldn't imagine taking it back. 

She blinked. " ... Sorry?" 

"I'm serious. Marry me." 

****

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked skeptically. "I'll understand if you want to back out. They can be a bit overwhelming - " 

She huffed at him, eyes sparkling merrily. "Darling, we're getting married. I'll have to get used to them all at some point. Besides, I've already met Louis and Dakota, and they've promised to maim you if we ever break up. I can't imagine your mum and dad being anything but happy for us. Everyone else can just stuff it." 

He stared at her. "Merlin, you're bloody amazing. What did I ever do to deserve you?" 

She shrugged. "You keep a clean flat and you're fantastic in bed. Are we going, or no?" 

He laughed as he kissed her and pulled her close. 

The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat broke them apart. "You two coming in then, or shall I leave you out here to snog for the rest of the night?" Louis asked dryly from the doorway to The Burrow, looking amused. 

She hmmed thoughtfully. "Leave us to snog," she decided, leaning into his side. 

Louis laughed, grabbing her hands and pulling her towards him. "That's it, I'm keeping her. Sorry, Freddie. You can still be one of my best mates if you like, but she's mine now." 

"Don't think I won't hex you," Fred warned. 

"I bite, if that helps," she offered, smiling up at Louis. 

"Close the bloody door, it's freezing!" someone shouted from inside. 

He caught her hand, twirling her away from Louis and under his arm possessively. "Get your own girl," he informed his cousin. "This one's taken." 

"Don't suppose you're into sharing?" 

He leveled him with a look as she looked amused, and Louis sighed. "Well, can't blame a bloke for trying. Come on, then." 

He glanced down at her, softening at her playful smile. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" she offered. 

"Let's," he agreed, giving her shoulders a squeeze. 

****

"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet my fiancé, Tabitha."


End file.
